Sermon Tone Analysis

May 10, 2015

*Intro* – (Read Lu 11:45-54).

Jesus goes to lunch with a Pharisee, but it gets contentious immediately when Jesus doesn’t wash up.

The host is appalled that Jesus would neglect this sacred tradition – tho it’s not God’s Law.

Jesus bluntly warns against the danger of moralism – concerning ourselves only with outward appearances while ignoring our inward sinfulness.

Like the teenage girl who brought her boyfriend home to meet the parents.

He appeared in all his glory: leather jacket, heavy boots, tattoos, piercings.

Later, when they expressed their concern that he didn’t seem very nice, the girl replied, “Well, if he wasn’t nice, why would he be doing 500 hours of community service?”

People, like the girl, are fooled by outward appearance; God sees straight to the inward defiance.

It’s all just window dressing unless the heart’s right.

Jesus initially identifies 4 ways the Pharisees do this -- signs of a moralist:

*I.

Exhibitionists of Externals (37-41)* – To the moralist it’s all about what you do; to God it’s all about who you are!

*II.

Trivializers of Truth (42)* – Moralists cling to their small efforts at doing good while ignoring their selfish, unforgiven heart.

*III.

Passionate About Position (43)* – Moralists seek the approval of people over the approval of God.

They crave recognition.

*IV.

Distributors of Defilement (44)* – Moralists lead others astray as well.

They are carriers of death.

So Jesus is on a roll.

Kindness, miracles and gentleness had not penetrated these hard hearts.

So he uses “Woe”, strong word expressing regret as well as condemnation.

Jesus’ stern warning is not delivered with joy, but with the hope that they might yet repent.

He is modeling what Paul later advises Timothy – to correct opponents with the prayer that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (II Tim 2:25).

His words strike hard.

V. 45: “One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.”

Not courtroom layers.

These are experts at tradition.

Theologians.

Scribes.

They developed the religious system and interpretations that the Pharisees practiced.

They were modern in one sense.

They knew where all the loopholes were.

In attacking the Pharisees, the lawyers felt insulted, too.

This one reminds Jesus, it’s one thing to attack the practitioners of the system; it is another to insult the inventers!

It’s a warning.

“You are not just attacking laymen; you’re lobbing grenades into the religious elite.

We’re right in the line of fire.

And you don’t want to take us on!”

It takes Jesus about 2 seconds to reload and say “Woe to you lawyers also!” (46).

“Thanks for reminding me.

I’ve got some things to say to you guys, too.”

Three more characteristics of moralism follow which address the inventers themselves.

*V.Loaders of Legalism (45-46)*

46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also!

For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

“Load” speaks of ship’s cargo.

Ever watch bag after bag loaded on a plane?

That’s the picture.

“You crush people with plane loads of baggage.”

The scribes knew how to load it on.

They had no idea how to provide relief.

So what were they loading on?

Rules.

Regulations.

Ritual.

Legal trivialities the people could never hope to remember let alone keep.

Not God’s law, but men’s traditions attempting to clarify the law.

These manufactured traditions were over 6,000 in number – a smothering burden.

BUT, here’s where it gets interesting.

Jesus reminds this man, while piling on others “you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.”

Sounds like our Congress, doesn’t it?

Surely the lawyers had to obey their own rules!

How can Jesus say that they do not touch the burdens they impose on others?

This is where the loopholes come in!

The common person could not possibly keep up with this tax code -- but the lawyers knew and took every advantage.

We’ve seen some before.

Leon Morris flags another: "On the Sabbath day they taught a man may not carry a burden 'in his right hand or in his left hand, in his bosom, or on his shoulder.'

But he may carry it 'on the back of his hand, or with his foot or with his mouth or with his elbow or in his ear or in his hair or in his wallet (carried) mouth downwards, or between his wallet and his shirt, or in the hem of his shirt, or in his shoe or in his sandal (loopholes!)”

These loopholes allowed the lawyer “to do pretty well what he wished."

But the average person was buried, fully apprised how they might offend God, but never taught how they might reach Him.

How greatly this contrasts with Jesus.

Mt 11:28-30: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

(Mt 11:28-30).

The scribes’ teaching created crushing burdens.

The gospel of Jesus removed those burdens thru repentance.

Moralism crushes; the gospel saves.

Moralism demands; the gospel gives.

Moralism burdens; the gospel forgives.

Remember John Bunyan’s Pilgrim?

He can’t get rid of the growing bag of guilt on his back.

He meets Evangelist who points him to the wicket gate beyond which is the cross and urges him to go there to find relief.

As Pilgrim leaves, neighbors mock.

Even his family tries to pull him back.

On he goes anyway until he runs into Worldly Wisdom.

Worldly Wisdom tells Pilgrim he knows a faster way to get rid of the burden.

He points him to the village of Moralism and a man named Legality living on a high hill.

Pilgrim goes, but as he gets to the hill the burden grows greater until he can hardly go on.

But Evangelist finds him again and directs him back to the light at the wicket-gate.

Pilgrim once again sets his sights on that light, goes thru the gate and finds a fence on either side of the road labeled “Salvation.”

Up the road he runs with great difficulty until at last he sees a cross.

Below is a sepulcher.

Just as he arrives at the cross, to his amazement, his burden falls from his back and into the sepulcher and he sees it no more.

No more.

Never again.

What a picture!